25th February 1917

Wilfred's Transport Course finished 25th February and he started out to rejoin his regiment. During the month the Manchesters had left Beaumont-Hamel and travelled south across the Somme, following the German retreat eastwards towards their new Hindenburg Line at St.Quentin. He caught up with HQ at Bouchoir 1st March, and was made a platoon commander in 'B' Company, under Captain Sorrell. He was nearly sniped leading a digging party his first night, and spent the next fortnight on numerous working parties, improving the trenches and building dug-outs, although the weather was exceptionally cold. Ten miles north, at Chipilly on the Somme, Robert Graves succumbed, and was invalided out of the war with bronchitis.